Rotary engine.



L. B. GESNER.

ROTARY ENGINE..

, APPLICATION FILED JUNE/17,1912.

Patented Apr. 8. 1913.

ffll/e/Or OO/5 5. Ges/7er LoUIs B. GESNEJR, vor nownaas GROVE, ILLINoIs;

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

Application filed June 17, 1912 Serial No. 704,234.

To all whom t may concern.' l

Be yit; known that I, LOUIS B. urn-sunk, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Downers Grove, county 0f Dupage, and State of Illinois, have 1nvented certain new and useiful Improve ments in Rotary Engines, of which the f0llowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements 1n rotary engines of the type employing a rothe provlsion of improved means pipe 8 communicates with tary piston head in conjunction with a rotary member' provided with rotary cyl linder heads coperating with said rotary piston head, and has for its primary object for communicating the proper motion to said rotary cylinder heads.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. The invention consists in. the' combina` tions and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best .understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which, Figure l is a side elevation of a rotary engine embodying my invention with 'portions broken away for the sake of clearness, Fig. 2, an elevation taken at right angles .to Fig. 1 With portions broken away and shown in lsection for the sake of clearness, Fig. .3, a detail elevation of a star wheel employed in the construction, Fig. 4, a detail elevation of a portion of a cam employed in the construction, member attached thereto, and Fig. 5, a detail elevation showing a different position of the star wheel from that illustrated in Fi.3.y ,f 'Fha .preferred fon` of construction .as illustrated in the drawi g comprises a suitable casin or framel having an annular cylinder c amber 2 therein. A power shaft 3 is rotatably mounted in casing 1 and a form of a disk is secured to shaft,3 so as to rotate in casing 1. .Rotor 4 carries a piston head 5 fitting piston chamber 2 and rotating therein. At the top of casing l a supplemental chamber 6 is formed in communication with chamber 2 and a rotatable member 'is mounted in 'chamber 6 and provided with radiating blades 7 closely fitting chamber 6 and chamber 2 and operating in chamber 2 to, constitute movable cylinder heads for chamber 2. An inlet chamber 2 at one complish this I secure a ycured to the end of shaft and showing .a guideside of the lowermost blade 7 and an exhaust pipe 9 communicates with chamber 2 on the other side to said blade 7. By. this arrange ment it will be observed that if steam or other fluid under pressure be admitted through pipe 8, with the parts in the positions illustrated in full lines in Fig. l, piston head 5 and consequently rotor 4 and shaft 3 will be caused to rotate in the direction of the arrow on Fig. '1 until piston head 5 passes exhaiist pipe 9. After said piston heady 5 passes exhaust pipe 9 it would strike the lower-most blade 7 unless said blade were properly moved to prevent such striking, and t-he primary object of my present invention is to provide improved means for effecting such movement of said blade. To accircular cam 10 to shaft'l as shownin Fig. 2, said cam being provided at one portion with a recess l1, as

lndicated in Fig. 3. A star wheel 12 is se- '13 which constitutes the pivotal mounting is extended from casing 1 at one side, as vshown inFig. 2. This power wheel 12 is provided with a plurality of concave bearlng surfaces 14 curved to bear upon and lit the circular periphery of cam 10 when in the position as illustrated in Fig. 5. Each vof the'points 15 of star wheel l2 is provided with a laterally extending pin 16 and, a

guide member 17 is secured to the inner face of cam member l0 and is provided with a guide recess 18 shaped to conform to the recess 11 and adapted to receive pins 16 as cam 10 and star `wheel 12 rotate. Both ends of channel 18' are made shown to facilitate the entry of pins 16 from either direction. The recess 11 and guide member 17 are so positioned on cam member 10 with respect to star wheel 12 and piston head 5 that when one of the surfaces 14 is running upon the circular periphery of cam l0, the corresponding blade 7 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, and when piston head ,5.passes exhaust pipe 9 and approaches theV corresponding. blade 7, the corresponding pin 16 enters guide channel 18 which causes a partial rotation of the star wheel and consequently of the blades 7 the passage of piston head 5 and move the succeeding blade 7 into operativeposition. Then said pin passes from the opposite end of channel 18 and the corresponding surface 14 of star Wheel 12 rlnning upon the circular periphery of cam 10 upwardly flaring as y for blades 7 and Il ti holds said blade 7 in position in cylinder chamber 2 between pipes S and 9, as shown in Fig. l.

lt will be observed that during the time when each of the blades 7 is operating, as a cylinder head in chamber 2, the corresponding 'bearing .f lrface 14 on star wheel l2 Ais running` upon the circular periphery of cam l0 and thus holds said blade positively and rigidly7 to resist the pressure of the active steam or fluid in chamber 2. The construction also furnishes a positive and reliable means for operating blades 7 at the proper time. it will also be observed that when, it is desired to reverse the engine, all that is necessaryY is to supply the live steam or duid under pressure through pipe 9 and permit the same to exhaust' through pipe 8, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art..

wWhile l have illustrated and described the preferred 'form oi construction for carrying my invention into effect. this is capable of variation and n'iodiiicat-ion without departing- 'from the spirit of the invention. l'. therefore do not wish to be limited lo the pre( se details ot eonstruclion set vforth. but desire to avail myself of such variations and modiieations as come within the scope ot the appended claims.

.l'laving described my invention whatl I claim as newy and desire'to secure by Letters Patent is:

Al. The eon'ibination of arcasing having, an annular cylinder chamber tlicrein; arotor; a piston head on said rotor a'nd travelingr in said chamber; a rotary member provided with a plurality of cylinder heads operating in said piston chamber, there being inlet and exhaust ports for said chamber arranged on opposite sides of said cylinder heads when in operative position; a. circular cam member adapted to be driven by said rotor and provided with a recess in its periphery; a star wheel provided with bearing surfaces running upon the periphery et' said cam member and points adapted to enter said recess to permit a. partial rotation of said star wheel; means for eeeting a partial rotation ot' said star wheel; and an operative -conneetion between said star wheel and said rotary member, substantially as described.

annular c vlindcr chamber therein;

A 2. The combination of a casing having' an annular cylinder chamber therein; a rotor; a piston head on said rotorl and traveling: in said chamber; a rotary member provided with a plurality of cylinder heads operating in said piston chamber, there being inlet and exhaust ports .for said chamber arranged on opposite sides of said cylinder heads when in .operative position; a circular earn member adapted to be driven b v said rotor and provided with a recess in its periphery; a star wheel provided with bearing surfaces running upon the periphery ot said cam member and points adapted to enter said recess to permit a partial rotation of said star wheel: a pia projet-tin;- laterall)T from each of said points; ber'secured to said cam member adjacent said recess and adapted to engage said pins to elicct partial rotations of said si ar wheel: and an operative connection between lsaid star vwheel and said rotary ,membeig substantially as described.

3. The tamibination of a casing having an a` rotor; a piston head on said rotor and tra vcliug in said chamber: a. rotary member provided with a plurality ot' cylinder heads operating; in said piston chamber, there being inletI and exhaust ports tor said chamber arranged on opposite sides of said cylinder heads when in operative positionrav circular cam member adapted to be driven b v said rotor and provided with ay recess in-` its periphery; a star wheel provided with bearingsurfaces running upon the periphery of said cam member and points adapted 'to enter said recess to permit a partial rotation of said points; a` guide member secured to said cam member adjacent said recess and provided with a late al recess adapted to receive. said pins and shaped to correspond with the recess in said Cam member; andan operative connection between said star wheel and said rotor member, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speeitication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS B. GESNER.

Witnesses .Testina R. Porre, ARTHUR 4 A. OLSON.

a guide mcm- 

